LE3 .A278 2010

2010

Grant, James

Acadia University

Bachelor of Business Administration

Honours

Business Administration

Business

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a gender wage gap on the career motivations and perceptions of women in academia. I became interested in this topic because previous research has largely overlooked the emotional effects of a gender wage gap and associated discrimination on women in academia. As a result, this study focuses on the discovery of changes in career motivations, job satisfaction and affection a woman has for herself, her career and her employing institution as a result of gender inequality in academia. Interviews were used to meet the objectives of the study because of their unique ability to capture the lived experiences of the respondent ( Prasad, 2005). The interviews were analyzed using Prasad‘ s ( 2005) women‘ s voice perspective which uses women‘ s experiences to paint a vivid picture of how particular events have shaped their responses, motivations and perspectives. McCracken‘ s ( 1988) long interview approach was used to create an interview where the women could share their unique experiences and opinions of gender inequality in academia. The interviews were analyzed using the constant comparative method ( Strauss & Glasser, 1967) where each transcript is compared to the transcripts of other respondents to recognize likenesses and differences between responses. The women‘ s interview responses showed differences in the way women and men experience the academic environment. The women were also aware that this difference was caused by gender discrimination. The women felt that gender based discrimination ix by male colleagues and by their institution via reward structures was not intentional, was done without malice and was very subtle in nature. The women felt that their institutions were insensitive to their values when it came to balancing work with family responsibilities and meeting the needs of their students and department at the expense of working on their scholarship. The women actively organized informal networks and formal committees to advance women‘ s interests on campus and create support for women experiencing difficulty in all faculties. Overall, the women demonstrated guilt in reference to working outside the home, self- doubt of their work in relation to their male colleagues, and frustration that their commitment to service was not recognized by their institution as a meaningful contribution.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:721